Upping the ante in real estate reporting

Titans in real estate reportage collaborate to take on an emerging platform with RealtyTV Podcast.

This is how John Aguilar, the podcast’s executive producer and co-host, described a historic partnership that adapts real estate talk to podcasting platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Overcast, Breaker, Castbox, Pocket Casts and Radio Public.

RealtyTV Podcast brings together Philippine Realty TV (PRTV), the country’s pioneering real estate TV show, and Inquirer Property, the leading print source of real estate news. Aguilar is president and founder of StreetPark Productions Inc., the independent TV production company that launched PRTV, now on its 18th season on CNN Philippines.

“We believe that we share the same values,” Aguilar said. “What they do resonates with us very closely. [Inquirer Property is] the print voice for real estate and we, as the voice for the TV medium of real estate, like working with the best.”

“We’ve always respected Inquirer Property not just for the content but also their ability to gain a loyal following in terms of readers, advertisers and stakeholders,” he added. “I think it was but natural for us to have this partnership… The evolution of the stories in real estate as covered by Inquirer are also the stories that we have shown through the years on our TV show.”

AGUILAR

Strategic, innovative step

The first real estate and construction podcast in the country, RealtyTV Podcast is evidently a strategic, innovative step for both PRTV and Inquirer Property. The idea emerged as PRTV’s response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Aguilar recalled.

“It was around March or April. We had a hard time trying to imagine how we could possibly shoot the show because Philippine Reality TV, ever since we started it, was about involving the developers in the show… Since we couldn’t do that effectively at that time, we thought, why don’t we explore a different paradigm,” he shared.

Offering the podcasting was Ronster Baitiong, Podcast Network Asia (PNA) CEO and former contestant at The Final Pitch—a show that Aguilar also hosts and produces. PNA, also the distribution and marketing partner for RealtyTV Podcast, noted that podcast listening doubled in the Philippines during the pandemic.

Podcasting fits into the lifestyle Filipinos developed because of COVID-19, Aguilar observes. “Podcasting allows you to have a share of mind without necessarily getting the full buy-in of a person. I could listen to a podcast while working out in the gym or driving or doing something else.”

Inaugural season

The inaugural season will have 12 episodes uploaded weekly. Each episode will be one of three segments: Realty Spotlight, all about the projects; Supplier Showcase, which features industry suppliers; and Realty Talk, for thought leaders. Netizens can watch these as full-on TV shows on YouTube and Facebook, the reason the title retains “TV.” Aguilar will co-host the podcast with Issa Litton and Jules Cruz.

Some of this season’s episodes include a feature on Damosa Land Inc., a leading real estate developer in the Davao region; and Project Smart Home 2.0, a PRTV project “with all the bells and whistles of high technology, automation, solar panels.”

Inquirer Property editor Theresa S. Samaniego is slated to guest this season, too. PRTV and Inquirer Property will cross-promote products and occasionally weave content together through the podcast partnership–prospects that excite Aguilar.

“I think this is quite an interesting tie-up because it will allow us to reach and tap a bigger audience and really help each other reach that audience effectively,” Aguilar concluded.